6) 
The propagation of the Dahlia has been, 
and still is to some extent, one of the cur- 
rent activities of the florist’s business. 
Green plants obtained from early spring 
struck cuttings are, with a few exceptions, 
preferred for growing on for decorative and 
exhibition purposes. Many an amateur who 
cannot keep ground roots through the winter 
can strike his own cuttings and grow them on 
for planting out in due course. Few have 
knowledge of what a huge industry the supply 
of Dahlia cuttings alone has become, leaving 
out of the question the sale of rooted green 
plants. It is ‘sometimes’ said there is a de- 
cline in the cultivation of the Dahlia, but the 
impression is an incorrect one. At the end 
of the summer, when the plants have died 
down, they are taken out of the plots, dried, 
and’ packed in’ dry sand, leaving only the 
stems visible. A reserve of roots is 
always desirable, beeause it sometimes 
happens that some roots which had 
borne exhibition. flowers the previous 
year. keep indifferently, . Considerable 
losses occur from this, and then the roots: 
in reserve are found very useful for furnish- 
ing cuttings. - The small dry roots are placed 
thickly in boxes and half. covered with soil, 
and in a proper temperature produce cuttings. 
A good, well-preserved ground root of a 
Dahlia. will- produce from 40 to 50 cuttings, 
but it is not well to take more than that, as 
the latter cuttings are certain to be weakly. 
For ‘certain. sorts of show. Dahlias 
there is always a» large demand, and, 
judging from this, the most popular sorts are 
Mrs. Gladstone, Colonist, John Walker, Maud 
Fellowes, Glowworm, and R. T. Rawlings. 
The most popular fancy varieties are Mrs. 
Saunders, Fanny Sturt, Duchess of Albany, 
Rebecca Peacock; and Mrs. John Downie, the 
latter one of the finest fancy Dahlias ever 
raised, being perfect in outline and sym- 
metry. The cactus varieties have hit the 
popular taste in a forcible manner. Many of 
them are extremely beautiful, but many 
growers on the levels are discarding them. 
They are essentially suited to the climatic 
conditions of the hills. 
FREESIA REFRACTA.—It is not very 
long since these bulbs came into popularity, 
and their glory for the season is now on the 
wane, yet a word or two regarding them may 
not be considered unseasonable. The 
Freesia belongs to the Iris family, and is a 
great favourite because it flowers early, is 
pretty, and sweet-scented The appropriate 
second name is given to it because of the 
“bent back” manner in which the flowers are 
set on the stem. If these be examined it 
will be seen that the lowest petal projects 
and is marked with a yellow honey-guide. 
- The top flower, however, is symmetrical, and 
as there is no alighting ledge there is no 
honey-guide. Most side flowers have such 
a ledge, but the Hollyhock is without it, and 
as far as the writer’s observations go, it is not 
visited by large flying insects. 
DELPHINIUMS. 
Delphiniums, or Larkspurs, are members 
of the Ranunculus order. ‘The annuals are 
divided into the Ranunculus flowered, 
Hyacinth flowered, Stock flowered, and 
Branching stemmed. ; 
* Ajacis,” with blue, red or white flowers, 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER . 
derives its name from markings on the petals 
like AI. 
The perennial varieties are most in favour. 
Cardinale (one of the Bee-larkspurs) has 
scarlet flowers with yellow centre. Nudi- 
caule auranliacum, orange with yellow centre. 
Zalil, yellow. Brunonianum, purplish blue, 
musk-scented. Grandiflorum, Cashinivianum, 
and others, of various shades of blue. 
The colour of the Larkspur is so perma- 
nent that it has been retained in specimens 
taken from tombs in Egypt 3,000 years old. 
Perennial Larkspur—Delphinium 
These tall and really superb hardy herba- 
ceous plants are always favourite border 
flowers, and they have been so immensely 1m- 
proved of late years, that many of the plants 
raised from a packet of seed of a good strain 
are almost equal to the best named varieties. 
Besides making a grand display in beds or 
borders, the long spikes of flowers are exceed- 
ingly useful for cutting purposes to fill large 
yases in rooms. Delphiniums, too, are not 
at all particular to soil or situation which 
renders their culture easy, and plants raised 
from seed are usually more vigorous than 
those propagated by division of the root. | 
To obtain good large plants, the seed may 
be sown in pans of light sandy soil, such as 
equal parts loam, or even garden soil, leaf- 
mould, andsand. The seed should not be 
covered too deeply and ought to be well 
“watered, as soon as sown, with a fine rose 
watering pot. Ofcourse, at this early stage 
the pans or boxes in which the seed is sown 
‘must be placed in a pit or frame till the seed 
‘germinates, and even till the young plants 
become a fair size. Delphinium seed is 
often very slow to germinate, and it has been 
sometimes thrown away under the impression 
that it willnot grow, when it is in reality a 
question of time. When the seedlings. are 
large enough to handle, they should be trans- 
SEPTEMBER I, 1902. 
planted about two inches apart each way in 
shallow boxes. For this the soil need not 
be so light and sandy as that advised for 
seed sowing. Three parts loam or garden 
soil to one of leaf-mould and half-a part 
sand would be more suitable. The young 
plants ought never to suffer for want of water 
at the root, and when good sized plants have 
been produced they should be planted out in 
good soil in the open, eight or ten inches 
apart, to remain till they can be placed in 
their permanent quarters in the bed or 
Hybridus (Amateur Gardening). 
borders. It may be as well to mention that 
seedling Delphiniums do not flower the first 
season, so that the aim should be to grow 
them “as strong as possible that they will 
flower well the following summer. Autumn 
is the best time to transfer the plants to the 
beds or borders intended for their reception, 
As before mentioned Delphiniums are not — 
particular as to soil or situation, but the 
plants attain the greatest perfection in well- 
manured and deeply-dug or trenched soil in 
the open. In dry weather when the plants 
are growing vigorously an occasional good 
watering will keep the plants in the best 
condition, and prevent the flowers — 
dropping so quickly as is then 
sometimes the case. It is scarcely 
necessary to add that weeds must be kept 
down by the frequent use of the hoe in dry 
weather, and by hand-weeding when wet. 
As some of the seedlings will turn out much 
better than others, the plants should be gone 
over when in flower the best selected and 
marked for propagation, and the inferior 
ones thrown away. It is a good plan to sow 
a packet of seeds annually, keeping the best 
varieties only. An important point is always 
to obtain seed from a well-known and reli- 
-able firm, or much disappointment may be 
experienced at the flowering period, 
